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Lozano G, Camper M, Holland A, A-159 Effects of Sleep and Mood on Attentional Functioning in Pediatric Cancer Survivors, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, Volume 35, Issue 6, September 2020, Page 953, https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acaa068.159
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Abstract
Sleep-related problems have been shown to adversely affect pediatric cancer survivors’ mood, behavior, and quality of life (Litsenburg et al., 2011). Depressed mood also contributes to decreased quality of life in pediatric leukemia survivors (Jankowska-Polańska et al., 2019). However, minimal research has considered how sleep and mood affect cognitive outcomes in pediatric cancer survivors. The present study utilized both direct assessment and parent report to investigate how sleep and mood affect attentional functioning in this population.
Parents of 54 pediatric cancer survivors (59% Caucasian, 44% female, mean age at testing = 11.27 years) referred for clinical evaluation completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children-3 (BASC-3) and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). A subset of survivors also completed the Conners Continuous Performance Test-3 (CPT-3). Variables selected for analysis were BASC-3 Depression, Hyperactivity, Attention Problems; PROMIS Sleep Impairment, Fatigue; CPT-3 Omissions.
Multiple linear regressions found that patients whose parents rated them higher on Depression and Sleep Impairment demonstrated more Omission errors (ΔR2 = .265, ΔF[4,42] = 3.785, p = .01). Similarly, multiple linear regressions found that parents who rated their children higher on Depression, Fatigue, and Sleep Impairment were more likely to rate their children high on Hyperactivity (ΔR2 = .182, ΔF[4,49] = 2.725, p < .05). Higher Depression ratings also predicted ratings of worse Attention Problems (r[53] = .330, p = .007).
Findings suggest that both depressive symptoms and sleep impairment may adversely affect attention functioning following pediatric cancer treatment. This highlights the importance of addressing mood and sleep in interventions to address attention difficulties in pediatric oncology survivors. Future directions for research are discussed.
